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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

E. WUTHRIOH.

GHRONOMETER ESGAPEMENT.

No. 451,630. Patented May 5,1891.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

E. WUTHRIOH.

GHRONOMETER ESOAPBMENT.

No. 451,630. Patented May 5,1891.

UNITED STATES EDOUARD wii'rnnion, or

PATENT ()FFICE.

VEYTAUX, SlVl'lZERLAND.

.CHRONOMETER-ESCAPEMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 451,630, dated May 5, 1891.

Application filed November 3, 1890. $erial No. 370,144. (No model.) Patented in Switzerland April 24, 1890, No. 2,035.

.To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, EDOUARD WU'rHiucI-I,

watch-maker, of Veytaux, Switzerland, have -invented an Improved Detent-Escapement,

(for which I have obtained Letters Patent in Switzerland, No. 2,035, dated April 24, 1890,)

of the balance-wheel and jumps at the fourth one.

'In the drawings, Figures 1, 2, and 3 show at an exaggerated scale three different positions of the escapement. Fig. 4 shows at about natural size the general disposition of a watch-movement provided with my escapement. Fig. 5 shows an elevation of the axle A of the balance-wheel, and Fig. 6 shows in elevation the axle X of the detent D and its bridge G. Figs. 7, S, and 9 are diagrams showing some of the parts in positions corresponding to Figs. 1, 2, and 3 more clearly.

In all the figures'the same letters refer to the same pieces.

The escapement-wheel R is provided with a double range of teeth, the one being composed of radial teeth V V &c., which play as stopping-teeth, and of vertical teeth V W &c., which are intended to give an impulse to the balance-wheel at every fourth oscillation of the latter. The teeth V of the wheel R. bear against the axis X of the detent D during the rest or pause of said wheel R. The axis X is provided with asuitable notch 03, intended to give passage to the teeth V of wheel R when the detent D is in a certain position. A spiral spring S, fixed to the lower end of the axis X, causes the detent D to be turned in the direction of the arrow to Z? in Figs. 1 and 7. To that end of the detent D next to the axis A of the balance-wheel B there is pivoted a star-piece E, having four arms or points e, 6 e and 6 The arm or point e bears against apin g of the detent D, and the arm or point e is acted upon by a weak spring F, which causes the star-piece E to remain in the position it occupies with regard to the detent D in Figs. 1, 2, 7, and 8, in which 6 bears against the pin g. The arms or points 0' and c of the star-piece E bear successively from left to right against the axis A of the balance-wheel under the action of the spring S, and they successively escape from left to right when the notch (J of the axis A is placed in front of them on the left'rotation of said axis in the direction of the arrow 4.

d is a balance-weight fixed to the outer end of the detent D and counterbalancing the weight of the star-piece E. The arm Z of the axis X is placed in the path of the teeth XV of the wheel R, and is intended to be withdrawn by such teeth, so as to place the detent D into its rest position.

T is a disk or plate fixed to the axis A of the balance-wheel, provided with a stone or projection H, receiving the impulse of the teeth I of wheel R.

The escapement plays as follows: As already mentioned, the balance-wheel fulfills four oscillation in every second, two left 0scillations producing the successive escapement of the points c and e of the detent D, and two right oscillations during which the escapement remains immovable. If I consider as first that oscillation of the balancewheel which causes the escapement of the first point 6 without any movement of the escapement-wheel, the position of the pieces at that moment will be that shown in full lines in Fig. 1. The position of the detent D is marked cl, and the balance-wheel oscillates at that moment to the left, (full line, arrow t, in Figs. 1 and 7 Under the action of the spiral spring S, Fig. 6, the detent D bears with its point e against the axis A of the balance B. During this left oscillation of the balance-wheel the slot 0 passes in front of the point e, and the latter moves to the right of the axis A before the end of the oscillation. At the same time the point e rests upon a full part of the axis A and remains bearing against said axis, as e did before. The parts of the escapement are then placed in the position shown in full lines in Figs. 2 and 8 and marked (Z and the balancewhcel begins its right oscillation, (full line,

arrow 3, in Figs. 2 and S.) This right oscillation of the balance-wheel, as well as all the subsequent right oscillations of the same, is fulfilled without any displacing of the escapement-pieces, the tooth V of wheel R remaining bearing against the axis X and the axis A, allowing no displacing of the detent D and of its axis X when the axis A turns to the right, such displacing being only possible when the axis A turns to the left and presents its slot 0 to the point e or 6 respectively. At the third oscillation of the balance-wheel the point e escapes through the slot 0, and the detent D takes the position shown in dotted lines andmarked d in Figs. 1,3, and 9. In this position of the detent D the notch 0c allows the tooth V of wheel Rto escape, and this causes at a time an impulse to be given by the tooth to the stone or projection II-that is to say, to the balance-wheeland the meeting of the tooth W with the arm Z of the axis X, causing the latter and the detent D, fixed to the same, to be placed into the position d, (shown in full lines in Figs. 3 and 9,) in which the star-piece E oscillates about its pivot in compressing the spring F until it' escapes from the axis A, (see (1 in Figs. 3 and 9,) which occurs when the tooth WW has moved the arm Z so as to place thedetentD into the position marked (Z in Fig. 3. The tooth V falls then against the axis X, the arm Z escapes from the tooth W and the arm 6 of the star-piece E falls back against the axisA into that position which I took as the starting-point, and which is shown in Fig. 1 and marked d. At that moment the third oscil- Th e described escapement might also be executed so as to have the balance-wheel receiving an impulse at every second oscillation. To that effect it would be sufficient to suppress one of the points e or e and to double the number of teeth of the escapement-wheel; but then the seconds-hand will jump twice in each second and will not strike the dead second.

The disposition of the parts of the escapement is as follows: One places the teeth of the escapenientwheel so as to have the straight line passing through the geometrical axis of the detent and through the geometrical axis of the escapement-wheel, passing in the midst of the distance between two teeth IV and IV, Fig. 1, when the tooth V bears against the axis X of the detent D. The axis of the balance-wheel is placed upon a radius of wheel R, passing at one-quarter of the distance from W to V this having the effect to have the tooth IV striking the stone Il before the tooth IV strikes the arm Z of the axis X.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- In awatch-escapement, the detent D, with spiral spring S and star-piece E, spring F, and the axis of the detent D, having a notch 00 and an arm Z, in combination with a wheel R, having teeth V V, &c., and IV W &c., and with a balance-wheel axis A, having a slot 0, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDOUARD IVUTIIRICH.

Witnesses:

E. IMER-SOHNEIDER, R. J. IIEMMIOK. 

